Tag Archives: Book Blogs

Last year I participated in one of my favorite Book Blogger events to date…The Book Bloggers Holiday Card Exchange. It was such a fun event…I loved getting cards from other book bloggers all over the world and sending out specialized cards for a few bloggers out there. It was so much fun that come early November of this year…I was looking forward to the event again. Imagine my disappointment in seeing that it was not set to take place this year! Well…I simply didn’t want to let this event go. It’s just too great to let pass so since it’s a worldwide event…I asked my favorite international blogger to help me save The Book Bloggers Holiday Card Exchange. And…

This year, the Book Bloggers Holiday Card Exchange is organised by Judith at Leeswammes’ Blog and by myself here at Stiletto Storytime. Anastasia of Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog has passed the baton on to us. Anastasia is the originator and ran this very popular event for two years. As we’re a little late announcing this event we’re more or less taking Anastasia’s text from last year, with her permission (thank you so much, Anastasia!).

The Book Bloggers Holiday Card Exchange is an event in which book bloggers send each other a holiday card around the Christmas period (the end of December). This isn’t just for people that celebrate Christmas, though! Everyone is can join in the fun.

Info

1. Sign up for the exchange by November 30, 2012.

2. Emails with partner info go out December 3, 2012 (please check your spam folder if you didn’t get the email, then contact us).

3. You have until December 13, 2012 to send your card(s).

4. Since it’s a book-lovers card exchange you have to include something book-related in your card. Some ideas:

Write about a book you’ve read recently.

Give a few book recommendations to your partner.

Tell a book-related story.

Something else book-related that you think up yourself.

5. Since this is a book blogger holiday card exchange, you need to be a blogger who blogs at least sometimes about books to participate.

6. The swap is open internationally. It’s too cumbersome trying to pair up people who do/do not want to send internationally, so everyone must be willing to send internationally.

7. You can exchange up to five cards. You won’t always get a card from the same people you send your cards to. It will nevertheless be an awesome thing.

Some Things to Remember

1. You HAVE to send a card. A card is something like this. You can make it yourself or buy it at the store. Everything you write must be contained in the card itself. Letters are not cards. The card doesn’t have to be book-themed OR holiday themed (but it might be nice if it was). We suggest you refrain from sending specifically religious-themed cards, because that sort of thing tends to offend people, even if you didn’t mean to offend them.

2. You HAVE to write something book-related in your card (see above). You can’t just say “happy holidays.” You COULD just write a list of books and that’s all, but I don’t think that’d be a lot of fun, do you?

3. You DON’T have to send anything else but the card, but if you want to stick in something else that’d be fine. A bookmark, for instance, would be really nice. Whatever you send: it has to be flat enough to fit in the envelope– no upgrading into package territory, here.

4. The most you should spend is $5. The point of the exchange is that it’s cheap enough for us money-less people to participate in, so everything should cost $5 and under. I don’t know if you can even buy a card that costs more than $5. Can you?

Quickie Privacy Policy

Courtney and Judith are the only ones who will see ALL the information. You partner(s) will be the only ones besides us who will see your address/email/etc. After the exchange is over all the info will be deleted.

Questions/Comments

If you have any questions, please feel free to comment here or email us about them! leeswammes @ gmail dot com

Also, please do spread around the link for this post! Feel free to take the graphic at the top of the post and post it on your blog, etc. The more people know about the BBHCE the more fun it’ll be!

So doesn’t it sound great? Trust me…this is a fabulous event and it only takes a little bit of thought and work to really enjoy something special this Holiday season from your fellow book bloggers. It’s such fun when you start to receive the cards in the mail! So please sign up here at Leeswammes’ Blog (scroll to the bottom for the entry form).

Welcome to Stiletto Storytime…where “Just like stilettos, reading is always in style.” Halloween is one of my favorite holidays of the year and one of things I love most about Halloween is reading my favorite spooky stories and books. I love hearing about new books so to enter my Spooktacular Giveaway just tell me your favorite book for this time of year. It can be a classic or a recent read. I personally am a big fan of classic horror novels. My favorite would probably be Matthew Lewis’ The Monk, a great classic gothic novel from 1794. However for this giveaway I am going to combine classic and horror…

So how do you win? It’s simple really…just leave a comment below. Don’t forget to leave your e-mail address so I have a way to contact you. This giveaway is for US/Canada addresses only. Winner will be chosen by Random.org on Halloween night at midnight. Want extra entries?

It’s here…Book Blogger Appreciation Week has arrived. As part of this week’s celebration bloggers will be interviewing one another in an effort to get to know someone new and also spread the word about some great book blogs you might not be aware of. I was lucky enough to be paired up with Amanda of Opinions of a Wolf which was new to me! It was great to discover a new blogger and also a fellow librarian. It was so interesting to find all the differences between us but also find so many similarities. So without further ado please welcome Amanda to Stiletto Storytime…

The Book Blog

It’s Book Blogger Appreciation Week and we are obviously talking about
our Book Blogs so I have to ask. When and why did you start blogging?

Let’s see….I started blogging in March of 2009 because I wanted to be able to put my opinions out into the world. Plus I enjoy writing, and it seemed like a good way to start getting some feedback on it. I reviewed my first book in July of 2009, because I’d seen book reviews on other personal blogs, and I figured hey, I was already writing reviews on LibraryThing, why not put them on my blog? The rest is, as they say, history.

Can you give us three adjectives you think best describe your blog? How about three that best describes you?

If forced to pick I’d have to say personal just because I don’t talk about libraries and librarianship as much as I used to, and I definitely view it as an extension of my hobbies–reading, writing, movies, video gaming, etc…. On the other hand, it’s one of my goals to become a published author, and reading and thinking about the craft of storytelling is key to improving your writing, so I guess it’s personal and hopefully will one day be professional.

You review both books and movies. How do you choose what to review?
Are these titles you pick up personally or do you take submissions?

I review every single book I read, but not every movie I see. I do accept free books from authors and publishers to review, but I only accept a book I’d read anyway. Of course this has backfired a couple of times. One particular instance, I thought I was receiving a historical romance to review, but upon receiving it discovered it was historical Christian romance, which I stay away from with a 10 foot pole. I felt obligated to review it though, so I did. I learned my lesson, though, and make sure to investigate the book on Amazon or LibraryThing to make sure the publisher offering it isn’t leaving out any key details.

As for movies, I tend not to review movies that I go see in theaters, because I figure there are already so many reviews being generated in that time frame for that movie that it’d be a voice in the wind type scenario. Instead I review older movies that people may miss otherwise or a well-known movie that I had an atypical reaction to. An example is Terminator 2, which I liked but didn’t love. It’s interesting to me to consider why I didn’t like something others did or vice-versa.

What do you genres do you review and enjoy reviewing? Do you
review anything beyond that? What do you absolutely not review?

I review everything that I read, and that covers a lot of genres. I’d say the ones more heavily hit include horror, sci fi, paranormal romance, 20th century American literature, and classics. I absolutely won’t read Christian literature and avoid serious women’s literature in contemporary settings like the plague.

I noticed you have a rating system. How did you come up with your
system? Does it have criteria or is just a general feeling after you finish a work?

Using five stars was a natural extension of entering my books into LibraryThing and rating movies I’ve watched in Netflix, both of which use five stars. They are based purely on how much I liked the book so:

1 star hated it

2 stars didn’t like it

3 stars meh didn’t love it or hate it

4 stars really liked it

5 stars love it

I also try to make my last paragraph a snap-shot of my opinion as a whole. Providing both helps readers get the gist of the review without having to read the whole thing if they don’t want to.

“Opinions of a Wolf” is a pretty distinct name. So I must ask where your
blog name came from?

That’s kind of a long story. Essentially, I’m part Native American, and my totem animal is the wolf. Although I grew out of that, along with most other superstitions, I’m still fascinated by wolves. They’re such interesting animals! So when I made an account on WordPress, I made an anonymous username of “wolfshowl,” and I’ve been called wolfy in various places around the internet. Given all that, since I knew my blog was going to be my opinions, Opinions of a Wolf just popped into my head.

What does a book or movie need to achieve to make it into “Wolfy
Recommends”?

It has to get 5 stars. That means that I absolutely loved in. In many cases, it’s a story that will stick with me for a very long time. Something I personally connected with or that I think has something important to say. Sometimes, of course, a book or movie gets 5 stars purely because it’s so incredibly entertaining and doesn’t have anything important to say at all, lol.

Where do you see yourself and your blog in ten years?

Oh good lord. Hm. I guess hopefully my blog will also be an author website. So I’ll be out of student debt, own a condo or a house, a published author, and generally happy and healthy. I’d like to get married someday, but I don’t like to put that sort of thing onto a time-line. It’ll happen when the time is right.

Where do you see the world of book blogging in ten years?

I hope that book blogs will become integral to the world of publishing with the best ones offering up honest, trustworthy reviews that will be respected the way NY Times ones are today. Hopefully we’ll replace the snobbery with reviews that read more like a recommendation from a trusted, intellectual neighbor. We’ll also probably be using devices to blog that no one has even thought of yet, of course, haha.

From Librarian to Librarian

You like me, are a Librarian. Congrats on your upcoming MLIS by the
way! We are both in our twenties so this is something of an oddity in
itself…how did you find your way to librarianship and why did it become
your career choice?

I was a student worker at my undergrad’s library as part of my work-study for all four years. In the summers, I did internships in areas that I thought I might be interested in, but I didn’t enjoy them. My senior year, my supervisor asked me if I’d considered librarianship. I applied for jobs at libraries and publishing houses in Boston and applied to Simmons. I figured I’d see what job I landed and go from there. The first job I landed was at a library, and so I went with that and started grad school that fall.

What drew you to your particular specialty in medical librarianship and do
you think that is where you want to stay? Are there other specialties that interest you?

Haha, I applied to every single job opening at Boston area libraries that I was even moderately qualified for. I was determined to not have to move home at all! The one that I landed just happened to be in a small medical library. What appeals to me isn’t the type of library but the work. I enjoy interacting with the public, organizing, and running websites, so I see myself in reference or management or both. I’m truly not picky at all about the type of library, although I don’t think I’d be happy at one at a religious academic institution. Also I’ve worked at large and small libraries, and I think I’m generally happier at larger ones.

Being a book blogger and a librarian obviously means you enjoy reading.
Have you always been a reader? Did you read a lot as a child? Did you
have a favorite book from childhood?

I’ve always been a reader. I begged my parents to teach me how to read, and by the age of four I was reading the Little House books on my own (Those were also my favorite books, by the way. On the Banks of Plum Creek in particular). I read all the time as a child. Books were my friends that didn’t leave me and let me escape my own life for a while.

Where do you see libraries and librarians in ten years?

I hope that we’ll have figured out how to incorporate the social aspects of learning without losing the respect for quiet spaces and a push to challenge ourselves. I hope we don’t react so strongly to the changing world that we go too far the other direction and basically make libraries into community centers. It’s important for a democracy to have an educated public, and that needs to be respected in our society. I want learning in libraries to be fun, but I also still want it to be learning.

The Deserted Island

The classic, you’re stranded on a desert island and can only take 5
_____?

Books

Logic would have me say 5 books that would help me survive on the deserted island, but let’s assume I mysteriously already get to have those, lol.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood to remind me of what I escaped and how much worse it could be

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams to make me laugh

Valley of Horses by Jean M. Auel because Ayla’s strength as a person inspire me and her relationship with Jondalar still makes me swoon

Paradise Lost by John Milton It’s already survived 3 intense readings in undergrad, and the poetry still touches me every time. Plus I’m one of those people who finds the devil as represented in Paradise Lost quite inspiring

The Odyssey by Homer It’s funny, scary, full of mythology, and would easily still be entertaining even with multiple re-readings.

South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut–raunchy humor like that doesn’t get old with rewatches

Moulin Rouge–one of the only movies to make me cry

Evil Dead–tree porn. Nuff said.

TV shows

Buffy the Vampire Slayer–I’ve already watched each episode at least 3 times, can quote them, and never get tired of them.

True Blood–hot sexy vampire awesomeness

The Office (US)–never fails to be funny on rewatching

Lost–how could you be stranded on a desert island and not watch Lost?

Futurama–It’s hilarious, and I could try to catch all the references on repeated watchings.

Foods

No-Name–this vegan General Tso’s chicken served at a local restaurant. It’s amazingness. Ice cream–this doesn’t need explanation. Crackers. Cheese. Booze–to pass the time (hey, it has calories)

Thanks so much Amanda for taking time to be my interview partner it was wonderful to get to know you and your blog. Please make sure you go and visit Amanda’s blog Opinions of a Wolf where you can also check out my interview and all the other great things she has to offer. I loved how eclectic her blog is and that she reviews movies I might have missed in the past. And make sure to check out all the other great blogger interviews going on for Book Blogger Appreciation Week! Also go check out the BBAW winners for 2010.

I first became acquainted withSecret Lives of Husbands and Wives at the Book Blogger Convention this year, it was the brightly colored paperback in my convention bag which immediately drew my eye and made me want to read the description right then. And I will admit I did read it right then sitting in the convention room. Author Josie Brown describes her book thus….

“In my novel, Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives, I explore the perceptions and deceptions affecting two marriages. The Harpers, Lyssa and Ted, are socially entrenched in the tiny Silicon Valley town of Paradise Heights, California, unlike DeeDee and Harry Wilder, who are admired by all, but politely aloof to their neighbors. Then word gets out that DeeDee has walked out on Harry and their two children. Gossip runs rampant through the Heights. Was DeeDee having an affair? Is it true that Harry is fighting her for everything—even the dog? Lyssa’s friends gossip about the neighbors while ignoring their own problems: infertility, infidelity, and eating disorders. The truth is, if the community’s “perfect couple,” Harry and DeeDee, can call it quits, what does that mean for everyone else? At least one of the rumors is true: to hold on to his children and his home, Harry, once a workaholic, realigns his life and becomes a stay-at-home dad. Touched by his efforts at trial-by-error single parenting, Lyssa befriends him, never realizing the effect their relationship will have on her close-knit circle of friends—or its explosive impact on her own marriage.”

Add on a tag line like “Suburbia is a jungle.” and who could resist this book pick? Then talk about serendipitous timing…I finally was able to align reading the book with vacation. This meant just me, the beach, the pool and a great book. Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives is wonderfully snarky, fun and sarcastic but it also has some heart to it that you would not expect. Throw in the pop culture references and an exciting storyline with lots of twists and turns and you have the perfect vacation read! It’s just a fun book that I have to say I enjoyed every moment of. And as a SAHM myself, I definitely see some truths hidden within. I also loved Brown’s sense of humor and how it comes off through her writing. Her wit is really charming and one of the reasons I think her writing is so exceptional with rich suburbia as her main subject. Talk about a place rife with stereotypes and punch lines! I would recommend Secrets of Husbands and Wives as a vacation read, a fun read or just a great book when you need to relax and get away from your own suburban life. It’s a hit for any occasion.

And since I met Josie through and became acquainted with the book at the Book Blogger Convention, I thought what better topic for a guest post than to get an author’s take on the Book Blogger Convention and Book Blogging itself. Luckily Josie was up for the challenge and was able to give it her unique wit and humor. Thanks Josie! It’s an honor to have you guest here at Stiletto Storytime!

The Book Bloggers Convention, from an Author’s Perspective

I love happenings.

I was too young San Francisco’s Summer of Love and Woodstock. However, my way of making up for that black hole in the space-time continuum is this:

These peeps—your peeps—put on quite a show. The biggest exchange wasn’t business cards or even books, but IDEAS that will be put into action by most( if not all) who were in attendance: bloggers, book publicists, publishers, and of course we authors.

And, as is the result of most happenings, creates ripples of change in society.

The book industry is already rife with change. Right now the elephant in the room is distribution: the method in which books will be delivered. The growth of eReader and eBook sales is having a drastic effect on where and how we buy our books.

As the number of indie booksellers shrinks—and the larger retailers go into flux (both Barnes & Noble and Borders are having financial concerns: the former’s stock is in play; the latter has experienced venture capital woes), book promotion becomes even more important in the scheme of things.

In the eyes of both the publisher and the author, those who make it their life mission to talk about books are a big part of the promotion equation.

Ahem. That would be you.

No one in publishing discounts word-of-mouth. With the number of newspapers declining—and along with them the number of columnists who review books—the book blogger is filling a very important role for the industry.

Believe me, Ms. And Mr. Book Blogger, everyone appreciates you—none the least we authors. From my perspective, here’s are a few tips I hope will help you do that wonderful voodoo that you do so well:

Ask for a copy of our books. Email us. Or email a publicists at our publishing houses. Don’t be shy! It doesn’t matter that you’re not a reporter with the New York Times. Every voice out there in the ether-sphere has a ripple effect. Like Emily Dickenson, I may write in a garret, but if my book doesn’t go out of that room, I’ll never get the chance to write again, so I welcome you to read my book, and to comment on it.

Don’t feel obligated to write something just because the book came your way. Sounds simple, right? But guilt is a complex emotion. Those of you who have participated in blog tours know that it is both an honor and a pain: you sign up because it’s great to get free books. To make the publishers happy, you feel an obligation to post something about the book, even if it wasn’t something you would have normally read.

Aye, there’s the rub! If, for example, your blog is devoted to mysteries and thrillers, but you for some reason you signed up for a vampire erotic romance, perhaps you now feel obligated to write something to justify receiving the book. Needless to say, your review then looks like this: “…Meh. I didn’t get it. But then again, I don’t usually read this kind of book…”

Oh yeah: and you then give the author just two stars—

And the review is auto-posted on Goodreads.

Do you see that tear? It just fell from my cheek onto my keyboard.

Believe me, authors can take constructive criticism. Heck, we get it all the time: from our critique partners, our agents, our editors. The hoops we jump through in order to get our books in the hands of readers are many, and quite tall. So you can imagine how hard it is to see reviews from those who don’t really want to read it in the first place. It is the equivalent to that renowned third grade book review by Bart Simpson: “Treasure Island? Um….yep, there was a pirate. With an eye patch. And a parrot. I give it three stars….”

In other words, no review is better than a non-review.

When you write something, do so objectively. A pal who writes contemporary women’s fiction got slammed by a blogger who felt the need to compare her own relationship to that of the book’s heroine (!!!!). The reviewer’s claim was that she and her significant had no time the kinds of things that went on in the book, that they would never ever ever do things like that to each other….

Thou protesteth too much.

What my friend got out of that review: she’d obviously hit a raw nerve.

Sadly, that review got her one star. Her response: “I guess next time I should write a book in which there is no conflict between the characters . . . Hey, does anyone out there know an editor who will buy something like that?”

Um. . . No. editors love conflict. They love stories in which the characters are flawed, in which there is some dysfunction in a relationship.

Otherwise, where’s the story?

Ask us to participate on your site. We love giveaways. We love answering questions about ourselves, our characters, our process. We love writing guest blog posts (which is what you’re reading now) and we love interacting with your readers, because we hope that they will be reading, us, too. We want you to FB us and Tweet us up—and we love doing the same for you.

Bottom line: we’re here for you.

Because we know you’re here for us, too.

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship. And you can quote me on that.

* (Full disclosure: Alas, due to a looming book deadline, I only allowed myself to attend the Book Bloggers Convention’s opening evening reception. and NO, despite what Ron Hogan may claim, that was NOT me dancing in the corner with the lampshade on my head. However, had wine been served….)

So many exciting little tasks and blurbs today to make up “Snippets on a Sunday” today.

First off without further ado I will announce the winner of my Got Books? contest which included a fantastic YA book prize pack and some secret swag as well! The lucky winner is….Erin of Bookish in a Box! Congrats Erin!I also conducted a poll for favorite authors with the contest. It’s something I am always interested in knowing about people. I like to also see what interests my readers have. So below are the top ten authors as chosen by contest entrants and twitter responses. I had over 200 responses to this question and I found my results to be very interesting. I see some trending due to new and much awaited future releases but I also see some classic author responses as well. What do you think? Whose your favorite author? Did they make the list?

And I also was a winner yesterday….Stiletto Storytime received the Versatile Blogger Award from my friend Selva at My Views. Selva is from India and new to the book blogging world. I always find it interesting what he chooses to read and review. I myself cannot imagine reading and reviewing in a second language! It’s part of what to me makes his blog so interesting. Make sure you check him out. Thanks Selva!

Now that I’ve received this award, the rules are I have to pass it on to 15 other fabulous blogs (I will be doing 8 blogs) that I have just discovered. I also have to link back to the person who gave me the award (as done above) and say 7 things about myself that you wouldn’t otherwise know…

Stiletto Storytime is extremely excited to be taking part in this year’s Got Books? Event. It’s a celebration of all things books! Check out the site for all the details as well as blogger and sponsor spotlights. Also follow on Twitter and look out for details on a Twitter PARTY! There are 100 blogs taking part and the prize list is going to be amazing. Speaking of prizes…here at Stiletto Storytime one lucky reader will win a prize package including:

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard (the first book in the hit series)

An ARC of Sea by Heidi R. Kling with matching bookmark

An ARC of Runaway by Meg Cabot

An ARC of Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Leviathan

Some other fun book related surprise SWAG (not pictured since it’s a surprise)

“This event is to celebrate book bloggers round the world..shine a light on their efforts, spread the word on their sites & have some bookish fun!”

It’s that time again! I like to think of it as “spring cleaning” for your blog but Maw Books officially calls it Bloggiesta. I have quite a few to-do lists I have been meaning to get to for Stiletto Storytime. Now that I am writing and on deadlines for my work on my novel I seem to be falling behind in getting my reviews up. Other tasks I need to catch up on have a lot to do with linking and catching up on reading and organizing in general. Lately I have gotten behind on reviews and would like to get a few weeks ahead and also have some extra posts to use when I don’t feel like blogging or can’t for some reason.That was a great little tidbit of information I took from Book Blogger Con 2010. To have a few extra posts saved for when you just don’t have your writing hat or sombrero on! Whatever you need to get done…why not join us this weekend and we’ll do it together! Also check out the mini-challenges…and of course there will be prizes. I will be updating as I can so check back and let me know what you think of any changes you might notice. Also I would love to know what you’re doing on your blog for this event. Good luck everyone! And don’t forget PEDRO (Plan. Edit. Develop. Review. Organize.).

My Goals for Bloggiesta

1.) Link all read books to their respective reviews

2.) Finish two books currently being read and write reviews for them

3.) Write one original blog post that can be saved for later use

4.) Remove any old information, challenges, buttons…etc.

5.) Make a list of the remaining books I will need to finish the A-Z Challenge

6.) Make a commitment to Guest Blog for another Blogger that is new to me in the near future

7.) Begin creative process for my first ever “reading challenge” for the summer

That’s a Wrap! (insert burrito joke here)

Hours Total: 16

Wow, what a great event. I was able to complete all my goals while also exploring some creative ideas I had been playing around with as well. Bloggiesta came at a perfect time when I was able to really spend some time on my blog. Congrats to everyone who participated and thanks to Maw Books for hosting! I cannot wait until next time…I am going to keep a running list to help me remember things I want to get done around here. Some of the highlights for this event were getting my very first reading challenge more developed for this summer and I also met “Secret Dreamworld of a Bookaholic” from Germany for whom I am going to guest blog in September. It was nice to meet someone new and be able to be creative instead of always on a deadline! This weekend was a nice break….thanks again to everyone for their cheers and well wishes! I am now home in the comfort of my own bed (broke out of the hospital) and recovering nicely…even getting some reading done!